Submerged feathering propeller



Patented lune l3, I899.

E. r. GORMAN & P. F. You SUBMERGED FEATHERING PROPELLER.

' (Application fled. Sept. 22, 189B.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets8heat I.

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I Patented June 13,1899. E. F. GOBMAN & P. F. vusT.

SUBMERGED FEATHERING PRDPELLER.

(Application filed Sept 22, 1898 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4N0 Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

EDWARD F. GORMAN AND PENFIELD F. YOST, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUBMERGED FEATHERING PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatezit No. 626,688, dated June13, 1899.

Application filed September 22, 1898, Serial NO- 691,598. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD F. GORMAN and PENFIELD F. Yosr,citizens ofthe United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain-new and useful ImprovementinSubmerged Feathering Propellers for Marine Purposes,of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in submergedfeathering propellers for marine purposes, and has for its object toprovide a simple and effective propeller of this description the bladesof which will exert the maximum force against the water in the properdirection and then be turned edgewise through one portion of theirmovement, which would retard the vessel.

Afurther object of our invention is to overcome the side thrust incidentto the screwpropeller and avoid the possibility of chu rning or racing,thereby permitting the application of a greater amount of power to apropeller of given size.

IVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to-make and use the same, the construe--tion and operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying draw ings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a vessel having ourimproved propellers applied thereto; Fig. 2, an enlarged section of apropeller-hub, showing the blade-spindles journaled therein; Fig. 3, asection at the line m w of Fig. 2, illustrating the form of cam foroscillating the blade-spindles; Fig. 4, a detail perspective of one ofthe blade-spindles, showing the cam-pin thereon 5 and Fig. 5, a similarview of the cam for bringing about the oscillations of theblade-spindles.

In carrying out our invention ashere em,- bodied, A represents the hubof the propeller,

which is here shown of spherical shape, but

which may be of any other desirable form, and this hub is carried uponthe outer end of the hollow shaft B, the latter being preferably splitfor facilitating the introduction of the stationary cam-shaft as well asthe bladespindles.

0 represents the cam-shaft, which runs through the hollow shaft B intothe hub, and upon this shaft is secured the cam D, said shaft being madestationary by suitable fastenings within the vessels, so as to preventthe cam from turning upon its axis, for the purpose hereinafter setforth.

The blade-spindles E are journaled within the hub, as clearly shown inFig. 2,and have secured to their outer projecting ends the blades F, sothat any oscillation of these spindles will bring about a likeoscillation of the blades, and the oscillation of the spindles isproduced by the pins G, projecting from the inner endsof these spindlesinto the groove H of the cam D, this groove being so deflected at thepoints I and J as to first cause each pin to move in one directionthrough forty-five degrees and then in a reverse direction through thesame distance, returning it to the position from which it started, thisresult being brought about by the revolving of the hub while the camremains stationary.

A journal K is formed upon the hub diametrically opposite from the shaftB, and this journal is adapted to fit within a suitable box or bearingL, which may be of any design to suit the particular requirements of thecase as, for instance, when the propeller is arranged in the positionshown at the stern of the vessel in Fig. 1 this hearing will be in theform of a side bracket, whereas when the propeller is in the positionshown upon the side of the vessel in Fig. 1 the bearing will be in theformof an overhanging bracket. A second hearing or box M is provided forthe journaling of the shaft B, thus giving it rigidity and enabling itto sustain the strains brought to bear thereon by the action of thepropeller.

In operation the shaft B is revolved, carryso long as the pins aretraveling in the straight portions of the groove; but when each of thesepins reach the deflected portions of the groove they will be given asidewise movement sufficient to oscillate the spindle upon its axisthrough forty-five degrees, and, as is obvious, this will cause theblade to make a quarterturn. Now assuming that the blade is in theposition shown at a in Fig. 1 and the propeller revolving in thedirection indicated by the arrow this blade will have its maximum efiectupon the Water in the direction which will tend to force the vesselforward; but when its blade reaches-the position indicated at b the pinof its spindle will have traveled through the deflected portion of thecam-slot, turning the blade edgewise to the direction of its movement,which will permit it to pass In practice the propellers may be eitherplaced upon the sides of the vessel or in the stern thereof, or both;and itis our intention in the case of large vessels to place twopropellers in the stern of the vessel, one upon each side thereof andone or more upon the sides of the vessel at different points. The

result of this would be that the vessel may be i readily turned withinnearly its own length,

since the propellers upon one side may be backed while the propellersupon the opposite side run forward.

One of the principal advantages in the use of our propelleris that whena number thereof are arranged upon the sides of a vessel in action theywill prevent to a large degree the rolling of the vessel by theirpositive action upon the water along the sides.

The fact that the hub is entirely closed permits the introduction of oilthereto through a suitable hole in the shaft B and the retention of saidoil, there being no waste, while the actuating parts may be entirelysubmerged I in oil, thus reducing the tendency to heatv and causing thepropeller to run smoothly and with little friction.

Our improvement is especially applicable to war vessels, since by theuseof a number of these propellers along the sides of the vessel the lattermay be maneuvered to much greater advantage than when only screwpropellers are used at the stern, and, further,

the strains upon the vessel and its machinery will be more evenlydistributed, thereby reducing the liability of accident to thepropelling mechanism, and by this distribution of the propellers thevessel would not be thrown out of action, even though one or more ofsaid propellers were injured, as the remainnecessary for this shaft toextend entirely through the hollow shaft 13, since the necessity forsecuring the cam-shaft within the vessel would be obviated.

It is obvious that our invention is applicable to wind-motors, as theblades will feather when traveling toward the wind and will presenttheir full surface when traveling therefrom, and it is only necessary toadd a vane to the cam-shaft to cause the feathering of the blades at theproper point relative to the direction of the wind, as will be readilyunderstood.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim as new anduseful is l. A submerged feathering propeller consisting of a hub, ahollow shaft carrying said hub, a stationary shaft located within thefirst-named shaft and hub, a series of bladespindles journaled in thehub, blades carried by said spindles, crank-pins projecting from theinner ends of the spindles, a grooved cam sec ured upon the stationaryshaft so arranged as to actuate said pins for the oscillation of theblade-spindles, as specified.

2. In a propeller of the character described, a hollow shaft, a hubcarried thereby, a stationary shaft projecting through the firstnamedshaft and into the hub, a grooved cam secured upon the stationary shaft,a series of blade-spindles journaled in the hub, pins set off thecenters of the spindles and projecting into the groove of the cam,blades carried by the spindles and means for revolving the hollow shaft,as specified.

3. The herein-described combination of a hollow shaft and hub dividedlongitudinally, a stationary shaft journaled within the firstnamed shaftand hub, a grooved cam secured upon the stationary shaft within the hub,the groove in said cam being deflected, a series of spindles journaledin the hub and projecting therethrough blades carried by said spindles,pins set off the center of the spindles and projecting into thecam-groove whereby when the hub is revolved the travel of these pins inthe deflected slot will cause an oscillation of the spindles and blades,and means for revolving the hub, as specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' EDWARD F. GORMAN.

PENFIELD F. YOST. Witnesses:

W. H. J OHNSON, J NO. MoGAw.

